Onslaught - Get brutal with Joe Denby!!!

London, Islington o2 Academy, UK

Onslaught talk about Thrash Metal with Music Trespass!!!

Joe Denby jumped aboard Onslaught's tour bus to discuss with Nige Rockett the current state of affairs, all things Onslaught and all things Metal!!!!

Music Trespass: How are you today?

Nige: Stressed! (Laughs) I've been lumbered with tour managers job for this tour so.. It's doing my head right in.

Music Trespass: Is it your first time?

Nige: I've been involved before but never done the whole thing it's too much with playing

Music Trespass: Never again?

Nige: No!

Music Trespass: So how is the tour going?

Nige: It's fantastic, been really good so far. A couple of weird moments we played in Dublin at four in the afternoon because of the World Cup final but all the shows have been fantastic so far.

Music Trespass: There's a real buzz around this tour. There's a real sense of "An Event" this time around.

Nige: Originally we started out doing this as a favor to Hatriot who have now pulled out of the bill because they were coming over to do some festival's and we were sharing the same booking agent and they suggested why don't you go out and do some dates we had an offer to book it and we said yeah, I mean it's a risk it's the middle of summer and lots of festivals are going on but we had the opportunity from our label to record a DVD because the o2 venue's are set up nicely with audio recording and things. So we went along with it. Obviously we've made an issue of the fact we are recording a dvd of the show. It will be the first we have put out in a few years and we have put an interesting package together. The fans seem to be into it.

Music Trespass: The lesser obvious Thrash bands seem to be coming to the forefront at the moment do you agree?

Nige: I think what your finding is bands like Metallica they obviously have huge fan bases but their music is kind of veering away from the hardcore thrash stuff and their roots and the likes of Testament, Exodus, Kreator us and Overkill are probably playing harder music then they have ever done. So the top are making slightly more mainstream. So the next level more prominently.

Music Trespass: Lets talk about 'VI' I think it's the best thing Onslaught have done. I think 'The Force' is still the classic and the best album to start with but 'VI' is the masterpiece.

Nige: Well every album we make we always try to make a better album then the last one we don't go out there with any other notions. We want to do that, we've got to do that. I don't see the point of making an album and regress and that's a recurring comment that each album is the best album we've made to date. For people to say that is a massive honour, I mean we've been going for a long, long time and to make an album like that, that far into our career I thing is a testament to what the band is all about.

Music Trespass: Can you tell us any plans you have for the upcoming DVD?

Nige: I think the label are going to release it in time for Christmas. There will be lots of stuff on it we've filmed two shows for it. We've been asking fans to film stuff and send it in and anything that's good will end up on there to make it a bit more grainy and a bit more eclectic there's going to have some interviews on there. There's going to be a gear breakdown, what each of us use. You get gear geeks who want to know that kind of stuff and any other funny things we can find to put in. Like Sy f**king up the other night! Jeff got the crowd to sing "you f**ked up".

Music Trespass: I read that you plan to re-record "In Search of Sanity" is there any truth to that?

Nige: Yeah!!! Definitely... events what happened around that time are well documented now. Sy was obviously involved in the writing of that about before Steve Grice came in. I think the fans really want to hear what Sy can do with those songs and it was kind of disappointing for me because I love the songs on that album but I think it sounds too glossy. It doesn't sound like a typical Onslaught album.

Music Trespass: So will it have it's own release or will it be a bonus disc on the next album?

Nige: We're discussing that with the label. What I'd like to do personally is have it as a bonus cd with the next album. I think that will be a nice little addition to it. So that's what I'm haggling for with the label. That way we can record and mix everything at the same time. We just want to capture the aggression of what the bands about now we won't change the songs in any way we'll stick to how they are because that's what people are used to I think they just want to hear it with Sy.

Music Trespass: It was recently re-released though wasn't it? Or it due to be?

Nige: No that was all wrong, that's been stopped.

Music Trespass: What's your take on the industry today?

Nige: I think it's pretty messed up to be honest. I don't see where it's going to be in ten years. I can't see the music industry as we know surviving that long. You've just got to look at when the likes of Metallica, AC/DC, Iron Maiden split up and they will in the next ten years. You look at festival line ups just regurgitating the same headliners. Who's going to be the arena or stadium fillers? when that level of band go where does it go from there? and with downloading and file sharing it's just killed it. The label's can't invest in new bands and there' no bands that will get the chance to reach those heights' of your Metallica's and Iron Maiden's.

Music Trespass: The other side of that coin though is a lot both bands like yourselves who have split and reformed are enjoying a second wave. They seem to be doing well?

Nige: Well the internet is a double edged sword. It helps us but it kills us at the same time. I mean is the reason a lot of the bands have got back together is that the next generation of fans have had access to that music and that's played a massive part but if they like it they need to go and buy it and support it because as I said earlier I think it's going to seriously implode in the next ten years.

Music Trespass: So on that note what advice would you give to someone?

Nige: (Laughs) Don't bother! There's so much competition and a lot of seriously good musicians. We do it ourselves... one thing is don't rush, and work on your songs and perfect them till you can't perfect them any more. So many demo's today the kids get so excited they stick what they have done on their pages straight away and you can hear it's all unfinished. You need to get your product and just keep tuning it and tuning it.

Music Trespass: What else is in the pipeline for Onslaught?

Nige: August is full of festival's We'll be filming our Alt fest set for the DVD. US and Artillery are doing a tour of America and Canada and two weeks in Brazil that will take us up to December.

Music Trespass: What music have you been listening to?
Nige: Same old! the old Thrash Metal and Hardcore.

Slayer 'Reign in Blood' album cover (Pictured Above)

Music Trespass: Top five Albums?
Nige: Metallica 'Ride the Lightning', Discharge 'Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing', Slayer 'Raining Blood', Onslaught 'VI' and Metallica 'Master of Puppets'.